Hariharananda-Aranya, Swami.
Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali.
By Swami Hariharananda-Aranya. Translated by P. N. Mukherji.
Containing Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms with Vyasa's commentary in Sanskrit and
with a translation into English with annotations. Includes many
suggestions for the practice of Yoga. New York, State University of New
York, 1984. 514 pages. ISBN: 0873957296.

Vyasa's Commentary.
Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali.
By Swami Hariharananda-Aranya. Translated by P. N. Mukherji.
Containing Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms with Vyasa's commentary in Sanskrit and
with a translation into English with annotations. Includes many
suggestions for the practice of Yoga. New York, State University of New
York, 1984. 514 pages. ISBN: 0873957296.

Many statues and paintings
of the Sage Patanjali frequently include the following iconographic features,
symbolic elements, ritual tools,
and esoteric associations:

1. Patanjali sits on coiled snakes or stands with
snakes coiled around his body. He is crowned or hooded with seven snake
heads, or up to over 100 snake heads, or a hood of 1,000 snake heads.
Patanjali is often referred to as "Adisesha," the first King of the Snakes (Adi
= first,primary; sesha = King of Snakes).

2. Patanjali is pictured with four hands. The front
two hands are frequently held at the heart center (Hydra, Anhata
Chakra) in the angali or prayer hands or Namaste gesture (ritual hand
position or mudra). The Heart is considered to be the Seat of
Consciousness. Sometimes the front two hands are separated with the right
hand upraised in the wish granting or wish fulfilling mudra (ritual hand
gesture) and the left hand holding a ritual knife or sword representing wisdom,
knowledge, or insight.

3. The two hands in the back extend out to the
side, are bent, and the hands are upraised. Both of these outstretched and
upraised hands show the middle and index finger upraised with the other three
fingers curled to the palm. This "V" hand position (mudra) is now a
worldwide symbol for "Peace" or "Victory."

3. In the right hand of his outstretched and bent
back arm Patanjali holds a circular object, magic disk, a magic mirror, or lotus disk,
which represents the powers of light, the sun, illumination, wisdom, insight,
spaciousness, air, infinity. It reminds me of the "Ojo de Dios" or "Eye of
God" Mexican craft I made as a child; or a shaman's magic disk.

4. In the left hand of his outstretched and bent
back arm he holds up a conch shell, a large sea mollusk snail shell, which
represents the power of sound, of vibrations, of speech, of music, of sounding
an alarm or calling a meeting, of sacred incantations, of mantras, of chanting
revered scriptures, of resonating the sacred sound of Aum (OM). The power
of the "word" is essential to the Indian and Chinese tradition of direct person
to person verbal transmission of skills, knowledge and mystical wisdom from the
master teacher (Guru, adept, achyra) to the aspiring student.

5. Patanjali is honored as the patron saint of
yogis. He is also revered by Indian dancers.

6. White colors in the artwork or offerings of
white necklaces, white flowers, or white candles are associated with Patanjali.

"I bow to the lotus feet of the gurus,
The awakening happiness of one's own self revealed,
Beyond better, acting like the jungle physician,
Pacifying delusion, the poison of samsara.
Taking the form of a man to the shoulders,
Holding a conch, a discus, and a sword,
One thousand heads white,
To Patanjali, I salute."
- Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Mantra
Chanted in Sanskrit before Ashtanga Yoga practice sessions.